Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1982
Jack & Diane
Buy Jack & Diane now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Jack & Diane
| cover = John cougar-jack diane s.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = John Cougar
| album = American Fool
| B-side = Can You Take It
| released = July 24, 1982
| recorded =
| studio = Criteria (Miami)
| venue =
| genre =
| length =
| label = Riva
| writer = John Mellencamp
| producer = John Mellencamp, Don Gehman
| prev_title = Hurts So Good
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = Hand to Hold On To
| next_year = 1982
| misc =
}}
"'Jack & Diane'" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, then performing as "John Cougar." Described by critics as a "love ballad," this song was released as the second single from Mellencamp's 1982 album 'American Fool', and was chosen by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as one of the Songs of the Century. It spent four weeks at number one on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 in 1982 and is Mellencamp's most successful hit single.
American singer-songwriter Jessica Simpson inserted a sample in her song "I Think I'm in Love with You," taken from the album 'Sweet Kisses'.
In 2018 country singer Jake Owen sampled this and as a tribute song titled I Was Jack (You Were Diane).
Background and production
According to Mellencamp, "Jack & Diane" was based on the 1962 Tennessee Williams film 'Sweet Bird of Youth'. He said of recording the song: "'Jack & Diane' was a terrible record to make. When I play it on guitar by myself, it sounds great; but I could never get the band to play along with me. That's why the arrangement's so weird. Stopping and starting, it's not very musical." Mellencamp has also stated that the clapping was used only to help keep time and was supposed to be removed in the final mix. However, he chose to leave the clapping in once he realized that the song would not work without it.
In 2014 Mellencamp revealed that the song was originally about an interracial couple, where Jack was African American and not a football star, but he was persuaded by the record company to change it.
The song was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, and was produced by Mellencamp and Don Gehman (with Gehman also engineering). Backing Mellencamp were guitarists/backing vocalists Mick Ronson, Mike Wanchic, Larry Crane, drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist/backing vocalist Robert Frank, and keyboardist Eric Rosser.
In 1982, producer and guitarist Mick Ronson worked with Mellencamp on his 'American Fool' album, and in particular on "Jack & Diane." In a 2008 interview with 'Classic Rock' magazine, Mellencamp recalled:
Mick was very instrumental in helping me arrange that song, as I'd thrown it on the junk heap. Ronson came down and played on three or four tracks and worked on the 'American Fool' record for four or five weeks. All of a sudden, for 'Jack & Diane,' Mick said, 'Johnny, you should put baby rattles on there.' I thought, 'What the f*ck does put baby rattles on the record mean?' So he put the percussion on there and then he sang the part 'let it rock, let it roll' as a choir-ish-type thing, which had never occurred to me. And that is the part everybody remembers on the song. It was Ronson's idea.John Mellencamp, 'Classic Rock', January 2008, p.61
'Cash Box' said that "this shuffling pop 'ditty'...has a certain power that hits to the heartland with a warm, descriptive storyline thats both personal and universal."
Charts
Weekly charts
Year end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
See also
*List of 'Billboard' Hot 100 number-one singles of 1982
References
Buy Jack & Diane now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1982